Cross-row blocker and chopper



May l, 1951 H. A. TURNER cRoss-Row BLocKER AND cHoPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l2, 1947 Q mma..

INVENTOR. TLN-'HET iORNEYS.

Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to agricultural apparatus and more specifically to cross-row blockers and choppers. The apparatus is applicable, for eX- ample, for use as a cross-row cotton plant blocker or chopper.

An important object of the invention is to provide a blocker and chopper which may be readily attached to a suitable vehicle, as a conventional cultivator and employed to efficiently block out rows of plants, with the soil between the plants clean.

Another important object is to provide a blocker and chopper which may be easily adjusted to the required depth of the work to be done.

Still another major object is to provide a blocker and chopper, including gauge shoes and discs, the former being adjustable as to depth and the latter adjustable as to set.

Yet another object is to provide a cultivatorattachable blocker and chopper which may be raised and lowered, as a unit, from the drivers seat of the cultivator.

Another object is to provide a blocker and chopper which is, in some respects, an improvement upon the cross-row cotton chopper disclosed in my United States Patent No. 1,642,277, granted September 13, 1927.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this disclosure, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the novel apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one form of disc assembly employed.

Figure 3 is a top plan of the assembly of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of an adjustable shoe which may be associated with the disc assembly of Figures 2 to 4, inclusive.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a second form of disc assembly, forming a portion of the new apparatus of Fig. 1.

Figure '1 is a top plan of the disc assembly of Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a trailing end elevation of the assembly of Figs. 6 and 7.

Figure 9 is an elevation of a combined lift and pressure means associated with the disc assemblies mentioned.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several Views, the novel apparatus is designated generally as A, and comprises a support B for a plurality of spaced-apart disc assemblies C and D, adjustable shoes E, combined lift and pressure means F associated with the disc assemblies C and D, and means G to aid in raising and lowering the disc assemblies C and D, shoes E and means F, as a unit, from a suitable vehicle H, to which the novel apparatus A is attached as by the means K.

The support B is, preferably, an elongated, horizontally-disposed length of angle iron, providing a horizontal section I 0 and vertical section I I. The former may be provided with a Iplu?- rality of spaced-apart, screw shank-receiving, screw-threaded openings I2, as shown in Fig. 3, which, preferably, extend from end to end of the support B.

From Figures 2, 3 and 4, it may be seen that each disc assembly C includes a bar portion or member I5 supporting a depending bracket I6 carrying a pair of chopping structures, whichv may be discs I1. adjacent one end of the member I5. The extremity 0f this end may extend downwardly, providing a bracket I8 for a combinedv cutter and deflector I9 which may be somewhat oval, as in Fig. 4, and positioned to be disposed crosswise the cut made by the associated discs I1. The bracket I6 may be detachably secured to the member I5 as by bolts and nut means 20, the deector I9 detachably secured to the bracket I8 as by bolt and nut means 2I, and the pairs of discs I1 detachably secured to the bracket I6 as by bolt and nut means 22.

` Each disc assembly D, as may be seenfrom Figures 6, '7 and 8, includes a bar portion or member 25, supporting a depending bracket 26 carrying a pair of chopping structures, which may be discs 21 intermediate the ends of the member 25, as may be seen in Figure 1. One end section of the member 25 may form a depending bracket 23 for a guard member 29 which may be somewhat inverted U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 8 and positioned to be disposed longitudinally of the cut made by the associated discs 21. The bracket 26 may be detachably secured to the member 25, as by bolt and nut means 30, the guard member 29 detachably secured to the bracket 28 as by bolt and nut means 3| and the discs 21 detachably secured to the bracket 26 as by bolt and nut means 32. The adjustable shoe E. of Fig. 5 includes an arm portion 35 pivotally carried bythe bar portions I5 and 25 (and forming acute angles therewith), as by the nut and bolt assembly 36, with the bolt shank thereof functioning as a pivot. At the lower end of each arm portion 35 is a horizontally-disposed shoe portion 31. Connected with the arm portion 35 is a brace 38 extending upwardly to the bar portion I or 25 (as the case may be) and provided with a plurality of spacedapart perforations 39, any one of which may accommodate the shank of a bolt 45 which extends through a suitable-,opening ,in the barportion forwardly of the discs and -is provided with a suitable nut.

Associated with, preferably, each disc assem bly C and D is a combined lift and-pressure meansy F, shown more particularly in Fig. 9. This means includes a reciprocating member which mayfbefaY rod 4D, provided intermediate its. ends.. with av freely sliding abutment 4I which may be a collar and also provided with a pair of adjustable abut.-A

ments or stops 42 and 43 which may be collars,

slidable alongthe rod.- 45; but held .1 in i adjusted positions as by.set.screws carriedby Ythe vabutments-42.and 43 and bearing, against the rod 45. The lowerend portion .of -the rod 40xmay be flattened-and provided with a- .perforation 4I-to` ac,--

commodate-theshanlcofa bolt 45,.which also extends through a-- perforation inthe.. associated. barportion orfmember. I5 .or 25, as fthe case may` be, .ofthe assemblies C and Rand-functions as a: pivotmeans... 'I'he.bolt..45 carriesasuitable nut- 46. Extending about the intermediate, portion of. the. rod, 40. fromithelowermost abutment .4I-Lis an expansion coil. spring., 4'I which extends up,-V wardlyto. the. sliding, colla1: 4I. urging the rod. downwardly as .the sliding .collai encounters. a.

the sliding abutment j4I bearsagainst the under.

sideof the anglejron' section 48 while theedjustable abutment v42 is spaced from the upper surface'of-thisfsection. Tension of the spring 41 may bel variedfby, adjustment -of 'theadjustable abutment 43.' It is now clear-that, with the angleiron section 48, nwhichlissubstantially aslong as, the angle iron support B, quite heavy, its weight and" the tension-of-'the'spring 4l will forcethe The'movement; in unison; of the barportions I 5 and 25 is limited by; a portion of the meansG, being a pivotal connection between these bar portions andtheangle iron support B.v Attached .tof the .end section .ofeachlbalnportion I 5 ,opposite isZ deflectorfcarrying., end. section,l and attached tothe-.end section-of eachbar portion25 oppo-` site its-iguard-carrying.endsection, isfa hingef member 48 with-one -leaf thereofadjustably securedA to the-:bar I5zor' 2.5 as-fthe case may be, bya bolt-shank 49 extending .through a slotY 5B in the "bar portionsY I5f and25 and-through' av suitablezperforationzin thehingeleaf; The latter may be -pivotallysupported by a'pintle-5I carriedby; a. leaf secured itothe horizontal 'section Il as by. a: pair of spacedeapart YScrews 52` adapted to extend into any two-closelyvadajacent openings I2. Thus, if desired the spacing apart of the various-disc `assemblies C'and D, may be adjusted tor suitfthe spacing: apartbyplant rows. Of

I5 ward, pressure upon saidstop member; a` disc` course, normally, a disc assembly C alternates with an assembly D, as in Figure 1.

The means G also includes a suitable hoist or pick-up line 53 secured to the angle iron 48 at, preferably, its ends and extending toward the drivers seat (not shown) of the vehicle H, which may be a conventional wheeled cultivator. Pulling in on this line 53 will raise the entire assemblies C, D, E and F off the ground and, of course, letting out onthe line 53fwill lower these assemblies-until the'shee portionsSI come to rest upon the ground.

The means K to couple the novel apparatus A to the-vehicle may be a plurality of spacedapart U-members 55, secured to the vertical section II ofthe support B and extending forwardly therefrom. Removable coupling pins 55 extend through suitable vertically-disposed openings in thenvehicle H and through these members 55.

From Figure 1 it Will be seen that a pair of discs I'I.and av cutter anddeect0r-|9 Iare disposed'in thespace between two adjacent-guard members 25..with the pairof discs Hand the cutter and deector within the planes of the end edges-of the guard members 25. The shape and location of the. guard members 25., fully protect the hills of cotton plants (or-thelike) leftbythe discs, as well as preventdisturbance of the` hills them-- selves, without, however, interfering` with the eiciency of the discs I5.and their associated cutters and defiectors I9. bers. 25 extendrearward a` distance` beyond` even the.cuttersanddeflectors I9, `soil still in a stateV of disturbance causedby them vandthe discs I5, immediately, after the passageof ,the discs I 5 :and cutters anddeectors I "I, willnot damage thc p lantsnor disturb theirhills.

The combined lift andpressure-,meansF pro-` vides a floating arrangement. offthe discassemblies C' and D aswell as a Yoating.arrangement for each individual disc assembly C or D. Thus. an obstruction encountered -byonev or a pairl of discs of disc assembly will.. permit theA discs thereof to ride over the obstructionbut will not interfere with the workof theother discs of the assemblies.

Damage to the discs I'I and,2'lgas wellag .the cutters and defiectors I9' (as might occur, when the apparatus A is lowered too fast by the aid of the-meansG) is prevented by the cushioning effects of the plurality of coil springs 41.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the formof invention herein shown and described withoutdepartingv from the spirit of the-invention or, the scope of the followinggclaim.

What is claimed is:

In a cotton chopper for attachment toa vehicle, an elongated, horizontal support; means to secure said support to a,VV vehicleyar plurality of spaced-apart disc cutter-supporting,members vextending transversely* of said support and pivotally carried thereby; an elongated stop member substantially paralleling said support and disposed above the horizontal plane thereof, said stop member having a plurality of spaced-apart openings; a reciprocating member slidably carried in -selected of said openings and extending outwardly thereof; a stopV carriedby. each reciprocating member below said stopmember; a stop carried by each reciprocating member above and normally spaced from said'stop member; an1

expansion coil spring for each reciprocating member, bearing against said stopsand exerting .up-

Since the guard mem-- 5 6 cutter carried by each cutter-supporting member; UNITED STATES PATENTS vertically-adjustable shoe assemblies carried by Number Name Date Seid cutter-supporting members; and means to 245,423 Weller Aug. 9' 1881 lower said stop member to a position to oat upon 612,721 Hafer Oct 18 1898 Said coil springs and to raise said stop member, 5 810,110 Agee Nov. 21: 1905 Said last-named means being carried in part by 991,961 Donald May 9, 1911 Sad Stop membef- V I 1,144,039 Johnson June 22, 1915 HARR* A' TURNER- 1,642,277 Turner sep1; 13, 1927 REFERENCES CITED w OTHER REFERENCES The following references are of record in the Publication, CIOSS BIOCkiIlg Sugar Beets by fue 0f this patent; Machine, U. S. Department of Agriculture Leaflet No. 97, issued Aug. 1933; for sale by Supt. of Documents, Washington, D. C. 

